A Golden Opportunity by Arthur G. Daniells

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Oct 31, 1907

A Golden Opportunity

By Arthur G. Daniells

It is a pleasure to call the attention of our people to the World Missions Special of the Signs of the Times. This is undoubtedly the most interesting, and, in some respects, the most valuable special number of the Signs ever brought out by its publishers. The general plan of this number was suggested by the editors, and approved by our conference presidents generally, more than a year and a half ago. The Special was to have been issued a year ago, but when it was nearly ready to go to press, everything pertaining to it was burned in the fire that destroyed the Pacific Press building.

Although this was a great disappointment and a serious loss to the publishers and editors, they did not abandon their plan to publish a Missions Special. With commendable courage they began the work for it all over again, and after months of untiring correspondence, they have secured the fresh articles, the important data, and the variety of illustrations required for such a great subject as the Special deals with.

The leading articles present the great missionary problem of the world under such divisions as these: The Open Doors before God's People in Mission Fields, A Century of Missions, Medical Missions, The Evangelization of the World in This Generation, The Divine Program of Missions, A Mighty Factor in Missions, etc. It contains fresh, Spirit-filled messages and appeals from our own missionaries in all the principal countries in the world. Altogether, this Missions Special is the greatest document we as a people have ever published in the interests of the world-wide missionary problem.

Now the hour has come for all the people to work. For a year and a half the editors have been working with untiring vigilance to get this number ready, and to make it a powerful agency for the cause of God. It is now ready to go forth to the world, but it can not go of itself. The editors and publishers can not do this part alone. This requires the hearty, continuous co-operation of all our people.

There are thousands of people all through this country, in the churches and out of them, who are deeply interested in foreign missions. They have a secret conviction which they can not throw off that the day has come for Christians to make the gospel known to lost, dying humanity in all the dark places of this world. We as a people know that this must be done in this generation. I can not think of any message we can take to these people that will help them more than the wonderful message of this Missions Special. And who can tell the help this may prove to be to the missionary enterprises themselves? It may bring to us and our great missionary undertakings the help promised in Isa. 60: 1-10. We are known as a people who stand for the Bible, the law, the second advent, religious liberty, and temperance. Why should we not be known as a missionary people, working earnestly and at great sacrifice to give the light of the gospel to the lost in the darkest lands of heathenism in all the world? We should, and this Missions Special will help to make this known, and open the way for those whose hearts are drawn in that direction to help us in our work.

The time for this great Missions Special is most opportune. It is brought out at the close of a series of twenty-six numbers of the Signs of the Times which have been giving the third angel's message in strong, clear lines, and it introduces a new series containing Bible Studies for Winter Evenings, which will cover the grand phases of the message again during the winter months. The series that is now closing has had a weekly circulation of over forty thousand copies. After giving to so many thousands of people the doctrines of the third angel's message, what a splendid thing it will be for our people to place in their hands this Missions number, which will contain such an array of convincing evidence that this gospel of the kingdom is rapidly going to all the world. Nothing could be more fitting than to close one of these doctrinal series and begin another with this beautiful missionary number which will stand as a key-stone in the strong arch of truth which the Signs has built up for this year's effort.

Again I say, Now is the time for all the people to take hold and work in order that the hard work and great expense of the editors and publishers shall not have been in vain.

A million copies of this splendid number can, and should, be sold by our people. We can not print another number of this kind soon again. What we do in behalf of missions in this way must be done now. Then let none fail at this critical and opportune time. This is of sufficient importance to warrant the making of an earnest appeal to all conference and church officers to take this work up with all the people and press it until a great work is done for the Master and lost humanity. A. G. DANIELLS.